Yesterday was an unusual Resurrection Day for most of us. There was almost no dressing up to attend to a gathering of believers. There were few big family celebrations around the dinner table. Coronavirus changed everything about Resurrection Day – not so quick! Coronavirus did not change the day at all. Jesus is still risen! The power of the message was not changed. We serve an incredible, loving, sin-forgiving, conquering King!
There is a danger on the Monday after Easter. How easy it is to move from Resurrection Sunday to an ordinary Monday, living life as if the resurrection was just an event! We’ll ask others how their Easter was, and then move on to the quarantine isses, weather, politics, work, the latest TV show and how irritated we are with people.
Too often we are unaware of the significance of all that we heard and celebrated the previous day. We celebrated a risen Lord who now resides inside of us, giving us power to walk in this life. Yet, too many will continue to fight sin in their own strength, walk through life as if they walk alone, and battle a nagging fear of death and even a fear of life. The resurrection will fade into the white noise of life, making no noticeable impact.
We are not sure what the disciples did on the Monday after Jesus was resurrected. Perhaps they stayed together celebrating the news of the resurrection. Perhaps they laughed, worshiped and resurrection joy flooded their day. Maybe they kept a low profile in case soldiers or other religious leaders were looking for them. Perhaps they sat around having conversations, trying to piece together exactly what occurred. We can’t be certain of anything that happened on Monday, but we can be certain of one thing: their lives were never the same. The men who had been so timid and fearful were now brave and courageous. They became emboldened to preach the good news, live the good news and in many cases, die for the good news. Resurrection changed their lives!
Let it be the same for you and me! Do not allow the day after Resurrection Sunday to take away the power, encouragement, hope and celebration that was experienced in celebrating our Risen Lord! The tomb is still empty and no matter what Monday brings, Jesus is still alive! As you face today, this week and the future, keep the empty tomb at the forefront of your thoughts. There is still real power, hope, victory and confidence because of a risen Savior.
As I reflected on this Monday, I found myself asking God to make me soil for the resurrected life of Christ to begin to germinate, grow, come forth. Oh God, break up the ground of my heart and plow me deep, deeper than I have ever been. I long to let the power of new life work within me. God, I don’t want resurrection to be just an event in life, but an event that changed my life.
Don’t let today be the Monday after Resurrection Day. Let today be the day that the empty tomb empowered you to be a victorious child of God. Easter is not over, and never will be.